A controversial new corner of the web has finally opened for business after a
decade-long regulatory wrangle, offering addresses ending in ".xxx"
to pornography websites.

Following approval from ICANN, a US quango, the new pornography-only suffix has been added to the Domain Name System, better-known for .com, .gov, .net and .uk.

The first registered addresses, porn.xxx, sex.xxx and xxx.xxx are being used to promote sales of .xxx domain names.

A pornography-only suffix was first proposed in 2000 and eventually approved by ICANN in 2005, but the plan was then blocked by the Bush administration, after lobbying by Christian groups.

The US government holds sway over ICANN even though the quango has power over the whole web, worldwide.

ICM Registry, the company behind .xxx, sued and forced the regulator to re-approve its plans. US government opposition fell away when the Obama administration took power and ICANN took the unprecedented step of ignoring objections from governments of more conservative countries.

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And in a strange twist, the most vocal opposition to .xxx now comes from within the pornography industry.

A trade organisation, the Free Speech Coalition, claims that it will make it easier for governments to block access to pornography websites and has called on pornographers to boycott .xxx. Saudi Arabia and India have already said they want to block all the new addresses.

But ICM Registry said on its website that .xxx “will be a professionally run outfit” that will give users “greater confidence and certainty”.

“For individuals or families wishing to avoid adult content, the machine-readable labels will allow easy and reliable filtering. No need to fiddle with keywords or expensive software,” it added.

The new suffix was created via changes to the Domain Name System made at around midnight on Friday. ICANN moved relatively swiftly after .xxx was re-approved in a vote on 18 March.

The first tranche of addresses, which will allow brands to buy their trademarks, will reportedly go on sale in November.

Once other high-value keywords have been auctioned off, .xxx addresses are expected to cost around $70, seven times as much as a typical .com address.